I agree with Toni that the decline of interest in figure skating cannot be laid at the door of any one factor. I think it is just a reflection of changing tastes in the national entertainment palate. (Hey, that's a sentence where both "palate" and "palette" make equal sense. )
But this means that the skating powers-that-be need to be more imaginative in reaching out to their potential fans and supporters, rather than adopting the paternalistic attitude, "we, with our superior knowledge, know what's good for you."
Joe's idea is to let the spectators peek behind the steel curtain of figure skating judging in real time. (Please let's leave aside the argument that a fan could go home after the event and study the rule book, then look up the protocols on the Internet the next day.